The Spectrum Scholarships are considered to be among the most prestigious scholarships for students earning graduate degrees in library and information science. Twenty-nine UNT students have been named Spectrum Scholars since 2009.

The Spectrum Scholarship Program was established in 1997 by the library association's Office for Diversity as a national diversity and recruitment effort to address the under-representation of certain ethnic groups in the library profession. In addition to the scholarship, each Spectrum Scholar receives more than $1,500 worth of pre-professional development activities and ongoing leadership training and career placement services.

Both of this year's Spectrum Scholars in the College of Information are earning master's degrees in library science. They are:

● Nathalie Garcia-Gomez of Springdale, Arkansas. Garcia-Gomez, an information assistant for the Springdale Public Library, is earning her degree through ELMS: Educating Librarians for the Middle South, the College of Information's distance education program that is based in Little Rock. She is one of eight students from colleges and universities throughout the U.S. to be named a ProQuest Spectrum Scholar this year. A staff member with the Springdale Public Library since 2012, Garcia-Gomez manages and coordinates the library's Homebound Services Program.

●Chantel Walker of San Anselmo, California. Walker is earning her degree through the college's Northern California program, which is based in Emeryville, California. She is the principal personnel analyst for organizational development and training for the County of Marin Department of Human Resources and has worked for the county since 2012. She entered UNT's degree program after being named chair of the Board of Directors for the Marin County Library Foundation in 2016. Walker also participates in two book groups and co-leads a third book group for County of Marin staff.